“Mr. Housing Secretary, who is the housing minister in Quebec? give me his name Bloc Québécois MP for Mirabel Jean-Denis Garon asked Minister Ahmed Hussen, who was testifying before the House of Commons Health Committee.

Within seconds of listening to the translation, Minister Hussen began frantically fumbling with his smartphone.

“Oh! You called her. You looked at your cell phone. We met once in our lives and I know your name,” the Bloc MP was quick to respond as he heard his interlocutor try in vain to get him the answer admit.

By asking such a question, the Bloc Québécois MP said he wanted to illustrate one thing: Ottawa too often meddles in Quebec and provincial jurisdiction. He delivers this speech at the debates in the House of Commons, the meetings of the parliamentary committees and on social networks. The staunch sovereignist wants to provoke thought by speaking ironically about fiscal federalism, the Canadian economy’s dependence on fossil fuels or even the use of federal purchasing power.

a pit bull

First elected to the House of Commons in September 2021, Mr Garon earned a reputation for being a real pit bull when he crossed swords with the Trudeau government. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos tried his medicine a few times in the autumn. Irritated by the barrage of questions from Mr Garon, Minister Duclos let loose during a Health Committee meeting: ‘We’re not in that infoman, Jean-Denis. I get interrupted every time I say something useful. »

The spade was sought. Because several seasoned observers have noted that Jean-Denis Garon looks the same as Jean-René Dufort, famous host ofinfoman. The latter also noted this during his October 27 broadcast. “How is my doppelganger in Ottawa, Jean-Denis Garon? ‘ asked the host. “He’s doing very well. He does the same as you. He cooks ministers,” replied tit for tat Maude Vachon, researcher for the show.

Mr. Garon meets at his office on Parliament Hill and smiles when asked about his resemblance to someone who uses humor to make politics interesting.

This parallel gradually caught on during the pandemic, when the MP had to give up contact lenses in favor of glasses after an eye infection and he was unable to go to the hairdresser. . “There is obviously a physical resemblance between Jean-René Dufort and myself. I am very happy to announce that I am one of the few who have walked on his show 6 times without being silly! he says with a smile.

“But you know, it’s good to be compared to Jean-René Dufort. He is someone who is pleasant, funny and intelligent. He’s one of those people who push humor into the public eye. It’s not just nonsense. infoman makes sure people who might not be interested in politics are interested in their funniest facts. »

economics teacher

Before jumping into politics, Jean-Denis Garon was an economics professor at the University of Quebec’s School of Management Sciences in Montreal and wrote a column in the MontrealJournal. In the lower house he therefore deals with the verb and the numbers with an efficiency that always unsettles the opponent.

For the past few weeks, Mr. Garon has posted the “A Year in Ottawa” section on Twitter. An observation that appalled him: the lack of French in the capital. “In Ottawa, I order in French. I don’t always have what I ordered on my plate,” he says in his first video.

Another observation: in his opinion, partisanship is carried out “on the back of Quebec”. “If every Quebecer spent three weeks in the federal legislature, we would win a referendum by 95%. I’m pretty sure of that,” he says.

Jean-Denis Garon dismisses the idea that the event of the year was the convoy of truckers that paralyzed downtown Ottawa, forcing the Trudeau government to invoke it Emergency Response Act. “No, for me Sainte-Scholastique is the event of the year. It’s an extraordinary constituency matter,” he said, pleased to have won the fight.

In this small village near Mirabel we will finally be able to build a retirement home. “This village had been encumbered with easements since the 1970s, which had prevented building at height. For years there has been a housing project for the elderly. But it was impossible because of the easements. Essentially, Ottawa prevented this construction. Now there will be housing for the dispossessed people of Mirabel who have struggled all their lives to stay in their homes. I talk about it and I’m touched. »